Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

shirelandcat; West Bromwich; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development opportunities

CPD provision

Supportive working environment

Friendly students

Job summary

Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust is seeking a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to lead safeguarding and child protection across its academies. Reporting to the Principal, you will work with pastoral teams and external agencies to ensure safeguarding is effective.

The role requires substantial safeguarding experience, training in safeguarding modules, and a proactive approach to supporting vulnerable students. Competitive salary and term-time plus 3 weeks is offered.

Qualifications

• Module One Safeguarding Training or equivalent; ECAF trained, Lead Professional and Outcomes Star trained.
• Minimum two years’ experience of safeguarding and child protection; experience with young people and record keeping.

Responsibilities

• Lead on child protection systems and safeguarding arrangements across the Academy.
• Provide safeguarding advice and guidance to staff to promote student welfare.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

Skills

Safeguarding training

ECAF trained

Outcomes Star trained

Lead Professional

Caseload management

Job description

JOB TITLE: Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

SALARY: Band E/F SCP 18- 31 £30,447 - £40,329 actual salary (£32,578- £43,151 FTE)

HOURS: 37 Hours per week, Term Time plus 3weeks

Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust is an established Multi-Academy Trust of primary and secondary academies across the West Midlands.

Our reputation is built on our core values of innovation, collaboration and inspiring individuals within our care.

We want every single person that comes through the doors of one of our academies to leave having grown as an individual, in terms of their skill set and their respect for others.

We believe that every person who passes through our doors deserves the very best that we can offer. Everyone who works with and for the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust does so because they believe in children and want their futures to be happy and successful.

We are looking for a well-qualified and experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead to take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across Shireland Biomedical UTC. Reporting to the Principal, the successful candidate will work closely with family support workers, pastoral team, senior leaders and external agencies to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective and consistently implemented.

We can offer:

• Opportunities across our MAT to enhance skills and experience
• Excellent career development opportunities
• Exceptional CPD provision
• A supportive working environment and team ethos
• Friendly, enthusiastic children.

Key Responsibilities:

• To lead on child protection systems, arrangements in place to enable the Academy to undertake their statutory responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• To provide safeguarding advice and guidance to Academy and client school staff to promote the welfare of students.
• To monitor, evaluate and lead on reporting on the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate:

The successful candidate will:

• Have Module One Safeguarding Training or equivalent, be ECAF trained, Lead Professional and Outcomes Star Trained.
• Have a minimum of two years’ experience of working in safeguarding and child protection procedures. Have worked for a minimum of 2 years with young people, have experience of record keeping and managing a caseload of work and have worked on cases managed at both Early Help level and Child Protection level

While we are ideally looking for a candidate with demonstrable experience managing safeguarding within school, we are open to applications from outstanding candidates with a strong grounding in child protection and demonstrable successful experience supporting the most vulnerable children and families outside of the education sector – for all prospective candidates, a passion for supporting young people, tenacity, commitment and an in depth knowledge of safeguarding practices across all relevant agencies will be vital for success.

Our academy is in an exciting phase of transition and there has been immense progress in developing a strong culture of safeguarding and high quality pastoral care - this is a tremendous opportunity for an exceptional candidate to join our inclusion team and help further improve outcomes for all our young people, irrespective of the challenges they face.

This is a demanding and sometimes high-pressure role requiring the post-holder to manage complex and sensitive situations, make sound decisions under pressure, and maintain resilience and professional judgement. Applicants should be able to cope effectively with the emotional demands of safeguarding work while maintaining high standards of professionalism and confidentiality.

We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice where all staff can thrive. We believe that supporting our staff both personally and professionally allows them to give their very best to our students. Our aim is to foster a working culture that recognises and reflects the importance of good mental health and wellbeing and provides effective support when colleagues need it.

Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects its entire staff to share this commitment. All post-holders will be required to have an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), including a Children’s Barred List check for post carrying out a regulated activity.

Closing Date: 7th October 2026